Miranda Johanson

US History

Week 3

Activity 1

  1. The inspiration for the Niagara Movement was a group of African-Americans lead by Du Bois who wanted equal rights for blacks and opposed the Atlanta Compromise.

They insisted on full civil rights and increased political representation. They believed that African-Americans needed a chance for advanced education to develop its leadership. Racism was their main objection. They also protested lynching, Jim Crow laws, and discrimination in education and employment. Their first meeting was in Canada near Niagara Falls where they wrote a declaration of principles opposing the Atlanta Compromise and incorporated this movement in 1906. Du Bois along with his other supporters wanted to publicize their ideas to other African-Americans so he bought his own printing press. Du Bois started publishing Moon Illustrated Weekly in December 1905. This was the first of its kind by a colored man or group. It was used to attack Washington’s position. This magazine only lasted eight weeks. Du Bois had no intention of giving up. Soon he founded and edited The Horizon: A Journal of the Color Line, in 1907.

The Principles were: Civil Liberty, Economic Opportunity, Education, Courts, Public Opinion, Health, Employers and Labor Unions, Protest, Color- Line, “Jim Crow” Cars, Soldiers, War Amendments, Oppression, The Church, Agitation, Help, and Duties. (Vote, respect, work, obey laws, clean and orderly, send children to school, respect ourselves)

  1. Dubois role in the NAACP was a leader and a founding father.

In 1910 at the second National Negro Conference the people present created the NAACP. Dubois was the one who suggested “colored” instead of “blacks” was used to cover all dark skinned people from everywhere. He was offered the position of Director of Publicity and Research. After he accepted this job in 1910 he moved to New York. His duty consisted of editing the NAACP’s monthly magazine, which he named the Crisis. In the years of 1915 and 1916 some members tried to oust Dubois of his position because of financial lose and his inflamed articles. But as always nothing was going to hold him down, along with his supports he prevailed and continued his role.

  1. The struggle for the NAACP during the First World War was getting equality for blacks to serve in the military as officers and being equally respected.

During 1917 Joel Spingarn established an African-American military officers training camp. Whites and blacks felt that this camp was controversial. Some whites did not feel blacks could lead, while some blacks thought they shouldn’t fight this white mans war. Dubois supported this camp but was disappointed when the 1,000 positions were created and 250 had to come from enlisted men already trained to take orders from the white man. Over 700,000 blacks enlisted on the first day but were subjected to discrimination.

Dubois organized the Silent Parade, in New York during 1917.The reason was to protest the East St. Louis Riot. During this riot African-Americans were murdered by whites because of taking the jobs from the people on strike. It is estimated that about 9,000 people joined this protest down Fifth Avenue in New York.

The Houston Riots in 1917 started because cops arrested and beat two black soldiers. In return 100 black soldiers went to the streets and resulted in killing 16 whites. A military court martial was held, 19 were hung, 67 were put in prison. In spite of this horrible even the military was convinced to accept over 600 African-Americans from Spingarn’s camp.

Federal officials tried to frighten the NAACP with no avail. They were not scared of investigation. Spingarn was a war supporter and encouraged Dubois to consider an officers commission with the Army. In order for this to happen Dubois was required to write and editorial repudiating his anti-war stance. Dubois accepted and wrote his required paper entitled “Close Ranks”. (Pro- war) As you can imagine, this caused havoc. Many black leaders criticized his sudden reversal while southern officers in his unit objected to him all together, right down to his presence. His commission was soon withdrawn.